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The Sun
29 minutes ago
- The Sun
Unloved by Ruben Amorim but too popular to sell – where does forgotten Man Utd man Kobbie Mainoo go from here?
ONE year ago, having nicely slotted into England's midfield at Euro 2024, it seemed Kobbie Mainoo could do no wrong. But now the Manchester United star is already at a crossroads in his career at the age of 20 — with only the love of the fans for comfort. 2 2 After joining United at the age of six, the thought of Mainoo leaving Old Trafford is unthinkable for many supporters. But the Stockport lad continues to face a brutal battle to secure a spot in the 4-3-2-1 system of manager Ruben Amorim. His emergence in the 2023–24 season under former boss Erik ten Hag felt like the long-awaited unveiling of United's next midfield maestro. Mainoo — who, along with Alejandro Garnacho, became the first teenager to score in the FA Cup final since Cristiano Ronaldo's strike against Millwall in 2004 — was considered the future of the club. Weeks after his Wembley triumph, Mainoo's vision and composure solved Gareth Southgate's midfield conundrum during England's surge to the Euros final. He was regarded as one of Europe's brightest talents. That was highlighted by his third-place finish in last year's Kopa Trophy, which is awarded to the world's best under-21 talent and was won by Lamine Yamal. But the youngster suffered the first major setback of his career just months after the Euros as he missed 17 games when fatigue brought about two different muscle injuries. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK And Mainoo, whose contract talks stalled months ago, now has two new managers to impress in Amorim and Thomas Tuchel — and it seems the former is not keen at all. Unlike ex-England boss Southgate, Amorim seems to lack faith in the academy graduate to fix United's midfield mess. Behind the scenes of Benjamin Sesko's first day at Man Utd, from meeting team-mates to interview In the week former Red Devils star Scott McTominay earned a Ballon d'Or nod, Amorim ramped up his search for upgrades on Manuel Ugarte, 24, and veteran Casemiro, 33. That search led United to make contact with Brighton about a potential move for 21-year-old holding midfielder Carlos Baleba, who the Seagulls value at £100million. Mainoo, who has beefed his body up this summer, looked at home as a No 8 for two pre-season games during their US tour. But new arrivals Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha are set to start the season as the two No 10s, meaning skipper Bruno Fernandes is expected to make a permanent switch to a deeper midfield role. The only reasonable spot left for Mainoo would be next to Fernandes in the double pivot — but Casemiro and Ugarte seem to hold favour there. With United out of Europe, there will not be as many opportunities to play in the reduced schedule. MAN UTD PLAYER RATINGS: Bryan Mbeumo eases pressure on Bruno Fernandes but Matheus Cunha lacks sharpness vs Fiorentina BRYAN MBEUMO showed fans what they've been missing as Manchester United beat Fiorentina 5-4 on penalties in their final pre-season friendly. United were a mixed bag in their final summer warm-up game- and the only one at Old Trafford - before the start of the new season next Sunday. United unveiled their four new signings but it was Benjamin Sesko - who was announced from RB Leipzig before kick-off - that got the loudest roar from fans. And this match proved how much they needed him... Here's how SunSport's Man Utd reporter Katherine Walsh rated the players... And if Mainoo keeps warming the bench, it does not bode well for his chances of making Three Lions boss Tuchel's squad for the World Cup next summer. Mainoo got the last 20 minutes of United's final pre-season friendly against Fiorentina on Saturday, before his team-mates made a beeline for him after he scored the penalty-shootout winner after a 1-1 draw. It has gone quiet on the new contract and bumped-up wages front for Mainoo. The club have struggled to nail him down to fresh terms, with Chelsea and Tottenham now waiting with open arms. While fellow Cup final scorer and academy graduate Garnacho is up for sale, losing Mainoo would be a devastating blow. He is a Mancunian through-and-through and a boyhood fan. With the 1958 United supporter group set to protest against Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers before Sunday's Prem opener against Arsenal, their outrage would pale in comparison to the grief of losing Mainoo — and especially to a rival.
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Revealed: 'Aston Villa players claim Mason Greenwood SPAT at Amadou Onana', sparking furious clash with Tyrone Mings during feisty pre-season friendly
Mason Greenwood has been accused of spitting at Aston Villa 's Amadou Onana during a heated pre-season clash in France — moments before the former Manchester United striker became involved in a tussle with Tyrone Mings that left the Marseille forward's shirt in tatters. The flashpoint came in the 87th minute of Saturday's pre-season friendly at the Stade Vwlodrome after Greenwood fouled Onana, shoved the midfielder as he got back to his feet and then tangled with Mings. Greenwood's shirt was ripped as the pair grappled. According to The Sun, Villa's players were said to be furious because Greenwood is alleged to have spat at Onana shortly before Mings intervened. Footage appears to show Onana react as if something touched his face, before later complaining to the referee about something, although it is not clear enough to definitively prove Greenwood spat at him. All three players — Greenwood, Mings and Onana — were booked, before Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi swiftly substituted Greenwood. The confrontation capped a bad-tempered finale that also saw De Zerbi and Villa manager Unai Emery clash on the touchline after a late challenge on former Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara. It is understood that Villa are not expected to push for further action, and any sanction would depend on whether the referee recorded the alleged spitting in his match report to the French FA. UEFA will not intervene as the fixture was a friendly. Marseille won Saturday's game 3-1 thanks to a second-half brace from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who struck twice after coming off the bench. Greenwood had earlier opened the scoring before Villa captain John McGinn levelled to make it 1-1 at half-time. The match was billed as a key part of both sides' pre-season preparations, with Marseille looking ahead to their Ligue 1 opener at Rennes on Friday and Villa fine-tuning ahead of facing Newcastle in the Premier League next weekend. Greenwood, 23, has been in prolific form this summer after scoring 22 goals in all competitions last season — his first campaign in France since leaving Manchester United in a £27million deal. He also found the net against Sevilla last weekend and hit a hat-trick against Dutch side Excelsior Maassluis in July. Marseille sporting director Mehdi Benatia moved earlier this month to quash speculation linking Greenwood with a move to Saudi Arabia, insisting: 'Greenwood will stay with us. He is not for sale. We want to keep him and consider him a key part of OM's project for the upcoming season.' Benatia's comments came amid reports that several Saudi Pro League clubs were weighing up bids for the former England international, who has quickly become a central figure for De Zerbi's side. The ex-Brighton boss has publicly praised Greenwood in recent months, describing him in April as 'a natural talent' and insisting he could be remembered 'as one of the best to ever play at the Stade Velodrome.' Greenwood last played for Man United in January 2022, shortly before his arrest on suspicion of rape and assault. He was subsequently charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. But all charges against him were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service in February 2023 after the withdrawal of key witnesses and new evidence coming to light. He spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Getafe, scoring 10 goals in 36 appearances, before joining Marseille on a permanent basis last summer. United are understood to have inserted a 50 per cent sell-on clause into the agreement.
Reuters
29 minutes ago
- Reuters
NFL preseason roundup: Bears, Dolphins open with tie
August 10 - Tua Tagovailoa made a rare appearance in a preseason opener as the Miami Dolphins and host Chicago Bears forged a 24-24 tie on Sunday afternoon. Tagovailoa, who hadn't seen action in an opener since 2021, completed 5 of 6 passes on the game's opening drive that ended at the Bears' goal line. He then gave way to Zach Wilson (5-of-9, 96 yards) -- who directed two touchdown drives -- and rookie Quinn Ewers (5-of-18, 91 yards), who led the Dolphins to 10 fourth-quarter points that erased a pair of three-point deficits. Starting quarterback Caleb Williams did not play for the Bears in Ben Johnson's head-coaching debut. Tyson Bagent hit 13 of 19 passes for 103 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the first half. Case Keenum went 8-of-10 for 80 yards and two scores in the second half. His 14-yard strike to Jahdae Walker gave the Bears a 24-21 lead with 8:38 to play. Ewers directed a 23-yard drive that set up Jason Sanders' 56-yard field goal with 6:22 left that made it 24-24. --Field Level Media
